


Diplomatic Functions

by DesertVixen



Category: Star Trek: The Original Series
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-04
Updated: 2016-05-04
Packaged: 2018-06-06 07:11:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,301
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6744556
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DesertVixen/pseuds/DesertVixen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The Enterprise is off to another diplomatic function, and Kirk's mind wanders while he's mingling.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Diplomatic Functions

**Author's Note:**

  * For [coralysendria](https://archiveofourown.org/users/coralysendria/gifts).



“This is supposed to be a five-year exploration mission, and what are we doing? Going to another diplomatic function.” Doctor Leonard McCoy grumbled as he fiddled with the high collar of his dress uniform. “I’m a doctor, not a diplomat. Although I won’t be doing much of either if this torture device keeps trying to strangle me…”

“You are also the chief medical officer of one of the most prestigious ships in Starfleet,” Spock said dryly. Hopefully, you can manage to not embarrass the Fleet, although I am in complete agreement with your assessment of your abilities.”

McCoy shot a look at Spock, but before he could come back with a sharp remark to counter the one Spock had just delivered, Jim Kirk decided to intervene.

“Gentlemen,” he said in the same tone he might use on a pair of squabbling children. Spock raised an eyebrow, while McCoy transferred his glare to Kirk. “I believe they’re waiting for us in the transporter room.” He left before Bones could start grumbling about transporters, trusting that they would follow.

They had never let him down yet.

Lieutenant Uhura and two other crew members were waiting for them, and Kirk noted that the communications officer was carrying Spock’s Vulcan lyre. The Starbase 13 commander, Commodore Sinclair, had requested officers with musical talent to provide entertainment at this evening’s reception – a measure that not only saved funds, but highlighted diversity within Starfleet.

And, Kirk told himself as he stepped up on the platform, this time if one of the delegates was murdered, it wouldn’t be his problem…

*** *** 

The reception area was certainly lavish, for a space station. Starbase 13 orbited an M-class world with a thriving colony, Demetria, and based on the fare displayed on the buffet table, the production of luxury products was coming along nicely – plenty of fresh fruit and flowers, some familiar and some obviously native to the planet below. Spock led the way to where Ambassador Sarek and his wife Amanda stood, and they exchanged greetings. Kirk was looking forward to the opportunity to host them for a dinner aboard the Enterprise, in the hopes of a more relaxed environment for everyone. He wanted for Ambassador Sarek to see just how well Spock acquitted himself as first officer of the Enterprise, how his scientific skills were incredibly valuable to the Enterprise, and to Starfleet.

The events leading up to the Babel conference, when Sarek and Amanda had last been on his ship had been rather strenuous for Kirk personally – being stabbed by an Orion spy masquerading as an Andorian was not his idea of a good time – but Kirk would have done it again without hesitation. The events of that trip had helped thaw an 18 year freeze between Sarek and Spock, over Spock’s choice of Starfleet rather than the Vulcan Science Academy. 

The trip to Babel had come not too long after their emergency trip to Vulcan, when Spock had experienced _pon farr_ , when he and Kirk had been forced to fight each other over Spock’s betrothed, T’Pring, as part of her machinations to escape marriage to Spock. It would have been a fight to the actual death, if McCoy had not been able to slip Kirk a drug that made him appear to die. When he had agreed to the challenge, he had not realized the stakes. Even if he’d known the stakes, however, Kirk thought he still would have made the same choice, and looked for some way to cheat the odds. It would have been better than standing on the sidelines, watching as the Vulcan enforcer in what looked eerily like an executioner’s mask fought his friend. Watching as Spock, weakened from his abnormally long period of _plak tow_ , died. It had all been worth that one unguarded moment in the Enterprise sickbay, when Spock had called him by his first name with joy, had embraced him without reserve for the moment before he collected himself.

The two events together had made him realize just how little he knew about one of his best friends – and how carefully the Vulcans controlled knowledge that they did not wish to share. It seemed less than logical to Jim Kirk, but after all, he was only human. It seemed illogical to essentially ignore one’s only offspring because of a difference in opinion, just as it seemed illogical to conceal biological factors that could be fatal just because Vulcans found them…embarrassing, he wondered? Suffering embarrassment over a condition they could not control seemed illogical to him, but Kirk had come to accept it as simply how the Vulcans did things. Even after all they had seen down on Vulcan, Spock refused to speak of it 

Once, he had thought that it was simply Spock’s way, that his reserve stemmed in some way from being the first Vulcan-human hybrid. Kirk could imagine that there had been a great deal of interest in his development, from a scientific perspective. Now, Kirk had begun to think it was the Vulcan way, since McCoy’s search of Starfleet medical records had turned up nothing related to _pon farr_ or _plak tow_. It was possible that Spock’s unique makeup had been problematic where normal Vulcans did not have an issue, but based on the little they had learned from Spock and seen on Vulcan, neither McCoy or Kirk bought that explanation. 

Kirk wondered if there were any other biological surprises that Spock had not told them about.

*** *** 

Kirk did his duty, mingling with the crowd, making sure to hit all the major players. Spock and McCoy did the same, although Kirk noticed that McCoy seemed very interested in what the starbase’s attractive female chief medical officer had to say. After the first two hours, Kirk decided that he had fulfilled his obligation to Commodore Sinclair. He found himself drifting back to where Spock and Amanda stood near the musicians, while Sarek talked intently with a group of Rigellians.

“The music is quite lovely,” Amanda said as Uhura set the Vulcan lyre down. She had been playing along with a pianist for some time.

“Lieutenant Uhura is an exceptionally talented musician,” Spock said blandly. 

“She must have had an excellent teacher,” Amanda continued smoothly. “I have some musical talent, but I confess I was not able to pick up the intricacies of the lyre. It is quite unusual to see a human playing one.”

Kirk had a sudden wish that Amanda could see the scene that often took place in the Enterprise’s rec room, Spock playing the lyre while Uhura sang. He thought she would appreciate it, that she would see the human side of her son peeking out. He was sure that Amanda had a good idea who had taught Uhura to play the lyre. But he also knew that Spock would never agree to it while Sarek there. Instead, as long as Sarek was there, Spock would remain at his most Vulcan, his most rigid.

“It seems perfectly logical to me,” Sarek said from behind them. “Lieutenant Uhura is a communications officer. Music is merely one form of communication.”

“Indeed,” Spock said, “Ambassador Sarek is correct.”

And Kirk knew somehow that Spock would never admit that he had been Uhura’s teacher.

Out of the corner of his eye, Kirk saw McCoy and the Starbase doctor slipping out of the room. His initial thought was that it was about time McCoy let someone put a smile on his face.

Ten minutes later, when a young lieutenant in a red uniform came up to Kirk and requested that the Enterprise’s captain and first officer join Commodore Sinclair in his office, Kirk was willing to be that McCoy had not left the room for personal reasons.

_Here we go again_ , Kirk thought. _I wonder what’s happened this time…_

**Author's Note:**

> So, I hope you liked this! I was aiming at your "fluffy Big Three" prompt, but this one kind of wandered into Kirk & Spock territory - but of course, without McCoy, their friendship would have been over rather quickly. The good doctor gets a few licks in as well. There's also a hint of Spock & Uhura friendship.
> 
> Also, to make this work, I had to watch "Amok Time" and "Journey to Babel" to get all the details right. What a horrible fate...


End file.
